STUDENT RESEARCH

ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI

Senior High School Department

Review of Related Studies

Based on Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21's Century in 2017 report, renewable

sources contributed 19.3% to humans' global energy consumption and 24.5% to their generation

of electricity in 2015 and 2016, respectively. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the

world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20% of energy supply. Some

countries have much higher long-term policy targets of up to 100% renewables. Outside Europe,

a diverse group of 20 or more other countries target renewable energy shares in the 2020–2030

time frame that range from 10% to 50%. In 2015, hydropower generated 16.6% of the worlds

total electricity and 70% of all renewable electricity.

A series of studies by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory modeled the "grid in

the Western US under a number of different scenarios where intermittent renewables

accounted for 33% of the total power." The incentive to use 100% renewable energy, for

electricity, transport, or even total primary energy supply globally, has been motivated by global

warming and other ecological as well as economic concerns (Jaffe, 2018).

In contrast, fossil fuel plants causes serious environmental problems as burning these fuels

produces waste products. These waste products such as sulfur-dioxide and nitric- oxide from

burning the fuel is a harmful air pollutant and waste water from the used steam carrying

pollutants into water sheds greatly harms the environment ever there are very good pollution

controls. The waste products are the current concerns. Besides fossil fuel is not renewable

source of energy as it take millions of years to be produced ad will soon ran out due to extensive

usage. Also the extraction and transportation of fossil fuel or is harm to the environment in the

same manner with using it. Currently the mankind harnesses 80% of its energy from fossil fuel

from our natural resources and provided a bigger expansion of energy usage and substantial

improvement of quality of life that gave convenience to billions of individuals in different parts
 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

of the world. With this dependability it en traits severe consequences. Humans use fossil fuel

extensively that results into exploitation of natural resources and the environment. These

consequences related to the discovery extraction, transport and usage of fossil fuels that might

be spread over time to future generations or over space to the entire planet

(americanhistory.si.edu, 2012).

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that in 2002. 79.6% of global primary

energy (429.7 EJ. where 1 EJ = 1018 J) was supplied by fossil fuels, followed by biomass

(10.9%), nuclear power (6.8%). hydroelectricity (2.2%). and other noncarbon renewable energy

sources (0.5%). Despite the concerns about climate change that led to the Kyoto Protocol, which

seeks to decrease global CO2 emissions by 5% from 1990 levels by 2008-2012. it appears that

fossil fuel use will continue to grow for several decades at least. A wide range of projections of

total primary energy (TPE) usage, or scenarios, which assume different rates of gross domestic

product (GDP) growth, energy and technology mixes, and rates of improvement in the efficiency

of energy use over the 21st century, has been published. This localized event neatly

encapsulated global concerns that humanity's demand for increasing amounts of predominantly

fossil fuel-sourced energy is the major cause of global warming and detrimental climate change.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age. a rapid growth in population and a concomitant

agricultural and industrial expansion have coincided with a rapid increase in atmospheric CO₂

and other greenhouse gas levels and an approximately 0.6°C rise in global temperature. Most of

this rise is attributed to increasing anthropogenic CO ₂ levels. It is anticipated that this will

accelerate sea level and climate changes well beyond those arising from natural causes and will

result in inundations of low-lying coastal areas, global changes in agricultural productivity and

disease patterns, and substantial impacts on economic activity unless the anthropogenic

enhancement of the greenhouse effect is. at least, slowed (Beser et al., 2017).
 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

Developed countries have rapidly expanded their use of renewable energy. In the United

States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewables accounted

for only 7% of the country’s energy consumption in 1990 but 10% by 2013. Also, the EIA

reports, in 2013, 11% of international energy consumption came from renewable sources, and

15% will by 2040. A Wall Street Journal article corrects common myths about renewable energy

(Johnson 2013). Germany will soon generate 30% of its energy from renewables. Germany’s

demand for wind turbines and solar panels is driving down costs internationally due to the

economies of scale (Gillis 2014). The White House announced executive actions to support solar

energy. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable sources are the “fastest-

growing sector of the energy mix (Motahhar, 2016)

Researchers at Columbia University have conducted the first exhaustive study into kinetic

energy harvesting — the harvesting of “free” energy from common human activities, such as

walking, writing with a pencil, taking a book off a shelf, or opening a door. Surprisingly, except

for those living the most sedentary lifestyles, we all move around enough that a kinetic energy

harvester — such as a modified Fitbit or Nike FuelBand — could sustain a wireless network link

with other devices, such as a laptop or smartphone. Energy harvesting is expected to play a very

important role in the future of wearable computing and the internet of things, where direct

sources of power — such as batteries or solar power — are cumbersome, expensive, and

unreliable. At its most basic, a kinetic/inertial energy harvester is a small box with a weight

attached to a spring. When the spring moves, the mechanical energy is converted into electrical

energy, usually by means of piezoelectrics or MEMS (microelectromechanical systems). If the

spring moves with more force, or it bounces back and forth rapidly, more energy is produced

(Anthony, 2013)

The researchers highlighted some interesting and counter intuitive discoveries within the

research paper. These discoveries pertains to factors that affect on how much energy can be
 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

generated depending on the situation and variables. For instance, climbing down stairs

generates more energy than going up due to faster and larger limb movements, also the size and

weight of the participant influence the rate of energy generation considering taller people

produce around 20% more harvestable than shorter people (Wibig, 2016). Furthermore, the

paper outlines the symptoms of contemporary global warming, reviews its possible driving

factors and presents some projections for future. Key among the symptoms are those related to

temperature, with the increase in average global temperature since 1880 now reaching a value

of 0.85°C. While warming has encompassed almost the whole world, the high latitudes have

warmed more than the low, and maximum temperature has increased more than average

temperature.

The impetus toward clean energy technologies has strengthened recently not only due to

the perceived benefits of a reduced carbon footprint, but also due to the desire to reduce

dependency on other nations for petroleum resources. The Obama administration has

emphasized the importance of clean energy and has proposed that as much as 80 percent of

electricity by 2035 should be derived from clean energy sources--wind, solar, nuclear, and

"clean" coal (Doggett 2011). Recent developments in the global arena have further served as an

impetus toward examining clean energy technologies. The recent political instability in the

Middle East and its impact on the volatility of oil prices has led to rising gas prices and has

provided an impetus to the potential for reduced consumer spending that, when combined with

rising inflation (due to higher food and energy prices), could slow economic growth in the

United States and in other countries. Moreover, the tragic disaster in Japan has led to a re-

evaluation of nuclear energy, relative to renewable energy, coal, oil, and natural gas (Leijon et

al, 2018).
 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

Financial development and the rise of living standards led people to cope with the bad side

effects caused by factors that sustained this development for many years. Evaluation of power

plants is not simple as several criteria are involved to cover every aspect of modern society.

Multicriteria analysis and externalities assessment can be applied to evaluate electricity

generation systems on the living standard (Chatzimouratidis and Pilavachi 2007; Athanasios et

al. 2008). Today, electricity demand is growing rapidly leading to construction of new power

plants. Resources are depleting, and sustainable solutions are exploring. Global warming is no

more ignored, and international agreements and protocols are signed in order to prevent

proliferation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (Wehner 2006; Zwaan and Gerlagh 2006). Fossil fuels

supply more than 85% of all commercial energy in the world and are the source of more than

68% of the commercial electricity. Also in the generation of electricity, fossil fuels may stay in

pole position for some time (Kargari et al., 2011).

A study was concluded to determine the limitations for electrical energy generation from

harvesting mechanical work during walking. The assessment was considered from the point of

chemical energy ingested in food, through the development of mechanical work, to the

conversion into useful electrical energy from the perspective of the conversion efficiencies. An

average person was considered, with four mechanical to electrical energy conversion

technologies assessed. It was found that for an individual walking on level ground a potential of

up to 5 J/step of electrical energy is available. Stair use impacts this, where stair ascent

decreased and descent increased the potential. It was concluded that, although the energy

outputs are small, they scale with the number of people, where an estimated potential of

900 MWh/day is calculated in the UK. Harvesting even a fraction of this available potential

would appear worthwhile, however, it is unclear if this potential can be practically utilised

(Partridge, 2016).
 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

Energy harvesting technologies have emerged as a prominent research area and continue to

grow at rapid pace. A wide range of applications are targeted for the harvesters, including

wireless sensor nodes for structural health monitoring, embedded and implanted sensor nodes

for medical applications, monitoring of mechatronic systems (e.g., tire pressure in

automobiles), recharging the batteries of large systems, etc. An energy harvesting device

generates electric energy from its surroundings using an energy conversion method. Therefore,

the energy harvesting devices considered here do not consume any fuel or substance (Hadas et

al., 2012).

Electricity, a clean energy source is an important development indicator and it bears

significance from climate change and low-carbon development point of view. Nearly 70 per cent

of Pacific region's population does not have access to electricity (Roper, 2009). World energy

consumption is the main determinant of global warming and consequent climate change and

sea-level rise. The world energy consumption patterns show that fossil fuels (coal, oil and

natural gas) accounts for about 87 per cent of global energy consumption. Oil accounts for

about 35 per cent followed by coal 28 per cent, natural gas 23.5 per cent, hydro-electricity 6 per

cent, nuclear 5.8 per cent and others 0.9 per cent (Mohanty, 2005).

Energy audit and renewable energy development assistance grant funds. The amount of

funds available for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance in fiscal year

2016 will be 4 percent of fiscal year 2016 mandatory funds. Obligations of these funds will take

place through March 31, 2016 (Rikkers,2015). With the current market architecture, future

deployment of renewable energy will necessarily be more costly and less scalable. Moreover,

transition towards a full 100% renewable electricity sector is unattainable. Paradoxically, in

order for renewable technologies to continue growing their market share, they need to co-exist

with fossil fuel technologies (Fuentes-Bracamontes,2018).

 STUDENT RESEARCH
ST. ANTHONY MONTESSORI
Senior High School Department

Synthesis

The consequences of relying on fossil fuel as an energy source are serious environmental

problems that can disturb the planet according to the (americanhistory.si.edu, 2012). These

problems inspired conducting studies that focuses on kinetic energy harvesting. As stated by

(Anthony, 2013), Researchers at the Colombia University have conducted the first study about

free energy or kinetic energy harvesting from human activities and proves that it is possible. The

discovery started developments towards renewable sources and different harvesting

technologies have emerged proving that renewable energy source is a better alternative to fossil

fuel. A clean energy source is an important development indicator according to (Roper, 2009) as

it bears significance world energy consumption and climate change. All these developments

gaining assistance from fundings can provide renewable sources c- existing with traditional

sources in the near future.